-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- My dad was an avid sports fan and a great athlete in his day . We used to watch basketball and football games together , and I know some of his proudest moments as a father were when I wore my sports uniforms in high school and college .

He was a man 's man -- a hard drinking , foul-mouthed veteran of the Korean War who came on to every voluptuous nurse who crossed his path . He passed away about this time last year .

I think about him often , and more during March Madness . I thought about him yesterday as I read about Jason Collins coming out as the first openly gay player in NBA history . I wondered , `` If my dad were reading this , what would he say ? ''

And , clear as day , I heard his voice . `` Yeah , but can the dude play ? ''

It made me laugh because is n't it just that simple ? Can he play ? Can he do his job ?

At the same time that Jason Collins ' announcement has caused a stir , there also has been noteworthy non-reaction among many . `` Is this really still news ? '' we ask . The answer is yes . It is news because it 's never happened before .

Pro sports , especially the ones where athletes get paid millions upon millions of dollars , are bastion of masculinity . Manhood , athleticism and heterosexuality are all woven together in our cultural paradigm . It 's still news because the stereotype of gay men as being effete , weak , uncoordinated -LRB- except where it comes to Lady Gaga impersonations -RRB- and otherwise `` girly '' is still so strong .

In NBA , Collins ' defense matters more than sexual orientation

It should n't be . Gay comes in all shapes , sizes , strengths and personalities . Just like straight does . It should n't be news that -- guess what -- some gay people do n't fit your stereotype . But it is .

It should n't be news for that reason , but I 'm grateful that it is news for an entirely different reason . Jason 's coming out is a very , very public `` it gets better '' message to all the LGBTQ youth coming up , and out , right now . According to the Trevor Project , an organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth , suicide is the third leading cause of death for 10 - to 24-year-olds , and its the second leading cause of death on college campuses . Lesbian , gay and bisexual youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers .

This is why an openly gay NBA player should be news , because it busts stereotypes , normalizes homosexuality and gives kids of all orientations a positive role model of self-love and professional excellence .

Until there are no more hate crimes , no more vicious bullying and ugly slurs , whenever a person comes out -- whether that person is a celebrity or a `` nobody '' -- it should be celebrated like the triumph of courage it is . That is why it should be news . Jason Collins is tremendously brave and deserves to be celebrated as such .

All that said , we aback to the question my dad would have asked . `` Yeah , but can the dude play ? '' Yes , he can play . He 's an aggressive , big man who holds his space on the court . At 34 , he 's probably aging out of the sport , but he 's played consistently and well over the years and deserves to be remembered for what he has done on the court , not what he did while off .

Opinion : Here 's to Collins -- and the NBA

I applaud his career and his bravery , and I look forward to the day that sexual orientation is a non-issue . We are all so much more than our sexuality . It is vital to the situations in which it 's important -- namely , in looking for a mate -- but it has nothing to do with job performance , whether your job is as a secretary or a professional basketball player . Our sexuality is just one of a thousand pieces of our identity , not the sole determining factor .

Jason Collins is gay . That 's not all he is , and it would be nice if we could keep this one piece of identity in context with the whole .

Finally , it 's nice to see institutionalized homophobia crumbling . First it was the military , with the repeal of do n't ask , do n't tell . For decades , the argument had been that having openly gay people in the military would impair unit cohesion . Setting aside all the flawed assumptions that undergird those fears , you know what has happened to unit cohesion since the fall of do n't ask , do n't tell ? It 's stayed the same or gotten slightly better . This is probably because it 's easier for people to bond when they 're not forbidden from being themselves .

First , it was the military , now it 's pro sports being forced to realize that there is no `` us '' and `` them '' when it comes to sexuality . We are all on the same team . I 'll bet that Jason Collins will be the first in a string of professional athletes to openly acknowledge their homosexuality . You can also think of him as the next in a chain of civil rights pioneers . And I 'll bet you 'll start seeing them play a bit better . We 're all at our best when we do n't have to hide who we are , when we can bring it all to the court .

I 'm proud to see Jason come out and encouraged to see the overwhelmingly positive reaction he 's received . And yet , I ca n't wait for the day we greet it with `` so what ? '' and a yawn . I think my dad would agree .

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile .

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Donna Brazile says her sports-fan dad would have been unconcerned about sexuality

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He 'd have said , `` Yeah , but can the dude play ? '' Competence not same as sexuality , she says

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She says orientation should be a yawn in a just world , but Collins ' coming out hugely important

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Brazile : Homophobia crumbling . First with do n't ask , do n't tell repeal , now in sports